Check out my new PC
 

I just ordered a Dell XPS mini tower.
It was only $800 so I don't think I can go wrong.

Here:
Intel i7 quad core 920 2.66 ghz
6 Gigs tri channel RAM
640 gig SATA II Hdd 7200rpm
512 mb ati Radeon HD 4350
Blu Ray Burner
19 in 1 media card burner
Free shipping!

Also ordered a 24" 1900x1080 LCD for $199

I plan to put an E sata card so I can add exteral drives.

That looks like a lot of value for money IMO. Happy editing.

Agreed. I tried getting together a similar i7 machine and came out more expensive; then I looked at a similar Dell XPS - it looks like not worth building anymore. Plus you get a whole year of tech support with a factory computer...

The place for deals is the Dell outlet, it's almost like day trading, the inventory changes every few minutes. I saw some ridiculous deals that just slipped by me. $800 is fine though.

I've known about Dell outlet for a while and it definitely made me come to the sad realization that it's becoming cheaper to buy than build. I still have some upgradability in the current rig so I'll finish that out before getting something new.

Only question is does Dell still stand by their refurbs like they do their new PC's?

Yes, I had to return my XPS because it wouldn't recognize my esata or firewire drives.
Thing was blazing fast though. Dell credited me back and picked it up no charge. Prior to that they sent a tech to my house to replace the motherboard.
So it's the same as buying new.

Is Intel i7 quad core 920 processor the most bang for your buck or are there faster (Nehalem?) that are worth choosing over this one? Provided one wanting to build a new system within the next couple of months...

Any coherent comments are truly appreaciated..

This is the perfect thread for me right now!

I got a dual core 1.8ghz with 2 gb ram. I am debating on swapping out the motherbd, getting a quadcore & going to 8gb ram in my old pc or just getting all new. The video card I have is excellent, HD's are good, 600w power supply thus even if I bought a new pc, I would be swapping out the video card & taking my HD's & putting them into the new pc.

It all comes down to cost....

Any thoughts on what is needed to have problem free video editing on Vegas etc...

It sounds like you're on a budget so one area to save is RAM. Vegas doesn't need 8 gigs, I forget the figure, but it can't use more than 4 for sure.

I suppose a dual core 1.8 is getting a bit long in the tooth. I upgraded from a 1.66 dual core! But in all honesty, the darn thing worked great, at least with HDV and EX3 footage. If it was me, yeah, I swap parts provided I had something else to surf the web with. These are hard times.

Renat, I don't see how anyone can answer that question because it would depend entirely on what software you intend to run. An i7 920 is pretty good, but is pretty good good enough to handle RED footage? or power through Maya renders? Scroll down to the bottom here http://www.newtechnology.co.in/intel...cereviewspecs/

Looks like i7 prices roughly double every time you step up. How much CPU does a man need? That's the question.